Over half of bosses welcome Government plans to extend flexible working to all

A new survey claims that just over half of employers (55%) welcome plans by the Government to introduce legislation requiring them to offer flexible working to all employees.

A new survey claims that just over half of employers (55%) welcome plans by the Government to introduce legislation requiring them to offer flexible working to all employees.

According to recruitment specialists Hays, 40% expect an increase in their costs if staff take up the offer of flexible working whilst 70% are bracing themselves for a hike in requests with more private sector employers expecting to bear the brunt of rising costs (44%) than public sector bosses (33%).

The survey found that employers offer flexible working primarily as way of supporting their employees, with just 18% of the 420 employers polled reporting it is just to comply with existing legislation. Only 29% feel offering flexible working is integral to the success of their business.

Despite the findings, the survey of 680 workers found that almost half (46%) say their current employer does not encourage flexible working, rising to over half in the private sector with some reporting that some of the options they looked for were the ones that were unavailable.

This is despite the findings which show that an overwhelming 85% of staff say that if their employer were to introduce more flexible working options, such as working from home or job shares, they would be more likely to stay with them. Not surprisingly, 95% of staff say flexible working improves work-life balance and over 20% see these policies as an “essential” when choosing a job.

Gaining more personal time was cited by 35% as the main reason for adopting flexible working while 29% said it would help them cope with care arrangements for children or elderly relatives.

Again, the public sector scores better among its employees, with 35% reporting their employer encourages flexible working for all employees, compared to just 18% in the private sector.

Charles Logan, director at Hays, commented: “Employers and their staff see flexible working policies as a positive move but more needs to be done to make sure these are implemented in the workplace. Our research indicates that employers offer flexible working options to support their employees, with a comparatively small number saying they adopt flexible working simply to conform to current legislation. The research shows clear evidence that flexible working can improve productivity and work-balance, if employers can make the types most desired by staff available.”

Over half of employees say the practice of working from home increases their productivity levels and report that they have the technology in place to allow them to do so.